Emotional Sobriety

This is a talk given by a man who is no longer alive. His name was Tom Brady, Jr., and he identified himself as an alcoholic. Often times at twelve step program conventions there are speakers who tell their life stories, with the purpose of maybe allowing someone else to identify and relate to them.

This talk, although including some details of Mr. Brady's life, is more about something that many people beyond only those who feel they are alcoholics can relate to. He titles it, 'Emotional Sobriety', and it is almost entirely directed at symptoms, behaviors and beliefs that manifested in his life after he quit drinking!

I recommend it as an amazing listen, regardless of your personal inclinations towards addiction--if you have ever felt that you were emotionally out-of-whack, then download this file and listen to Mr. Brady talk to us.

Tom Brady, Jr. on Emotional Sobriety

Seattle Hip Hop

Have you ever been there?

It is beautiful-at least that was my experience-during the Memorial Day weekend I spent there in 2007. I fell in love. The view, the vibe, the layout of the city over gentle hills...wow!

At the time, my friend mentioned a show I had just missed for a group called Common Market. The two members of the group are both Baha'is, and my interest was piqued. Some time later I purchased Tobacco Road, and later their Winter's End EP.

Brasso by Common Market


So if you know anything about Northwest rap, you would assume that I naturally connected the dots and checked out Blue Scholars, a hip hop duo that features one-half of Common Market: Sabzi.

But no. I didn't. Ever. In fact, it took my recent resurgent interest in less 'pop'-ular music, along with these next guys to get me around to Blue Scholars. And my brother. He helped too.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis put out an album. Then they re-released it with remixes and some bonus tracks. Free. I stumbled across the remix of Otherside. Listened to it, liked it, and it got forgotten in the influx of new music I was processing. Another day, I stumbled across another mp3, and this time I saw a picture of the guys. Intriguing. And slightly ridiculous. Also, quite hip. Too hip for me. Seriously, I only wish I could pull off a look like that. Okay, blah blah, get to the point... I loved the Vs. EP. It's a free download here...or you can pick up the re-release, The Vs. Redux at iTunes. Redux includes all the originals plus remixes and a bonus track. It's only $6...support these guys!!! $6 for some dope hip hop?!?! Check out Macklemore's blog for videos for their songs submitted by fans; my favorite is Stay at Home Dad. Ryan Lewis has some other projects going on too - his website is here.

Vipassana by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis


Okay, so I was listening to the above song, and then I was like, "WHOA! Did he just say Baha'u'llah?!" Rewind...yes he did. Check it out for yourself.

Below, Life is Cinema continues a trend that I picked up on in Otherside and Irish Celebration-this dude is recovering. Or recovered. But the song below has a line I wish I had come up with...it just is such an accurate description of the insanity...

Selfish, Selfish, Selfish, Yeah, Me, Yeah, Me, Yeah;
Girlfriend, Break up, New one, One-night stand, Cheat, Cheat, Repeat that;
Drug use, Clean up, Drug use, Drug use, Clean up, Drug use, Rehab;
%$@# you I suck dude, Self loathing, Self esteem, Ego than Me again

Life is Cinema by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis


Their group just dropped a new song this week as well, titled Wings. Go check it out as Macklemore paints a correlation between consumerism and...well, you'll see. Also you can support their efforts to make a video through kickstarter.org and the song is available for download off of Macklemore's blog (link up above somewhere).

Since I am just getting to know Blue Scholars, I won't post anything of theirs yet. Although I did just listen to a song with KRS-One, Talib Kweli and Geologic (the other half of the group) titled 'Oh Really'...

I know there is more SEA hip hop out there...the Grynch popped kept poppin' up, but I haven't listened to him yet. Can't hand it all to you...I leave you with the video for Macklemore's track...White Privilege.

Eric & Magill

I have found a plethora of free music on the internet. It started with the free songs Amazon offered me on their site, and I gradually have expanded my searches. Labels put out entire albums of free material-samplers-to give bands exposure. But a lot of the samplers I downloaded were filled with junk. So I began to believe that ALL free albums were junk.

So when I came across 'All That I Know', I was skeptical. An entire album for free? I listened to the title song, and liked it, but still wasn't sure. But I downloaded it anyhow, planning on listening to it a little later. Fast forward a couple weeks, and their songs started popping up in my iPods shuffled songs. I really dig a couple of these songs-when I am in the mood for some laid back music that is. So give 'em a listen.

Grandpa's Pink Wine by Eric & Magill



You can download their entire album here at their bandcamp site. (Ryan...bandcamp is another awesome site you are going to love!)

Favorite New Song...OR...His name is Rio and he dances blah blah blah

photo by Erick Duque

First a little disclaimer...this is a really good song. Really good. You have to give it a listen. Please.

Yes it is my name. But that's NOT why it is my new favorite song. Really. Just give it a listen. You'll see...

Rio by Hey Marseilles


Now...was I telling the truth? That has to be one of the most infectious jams I have gotten a hold of in quite a while. Hey Marseilles is quite the band, a 7 piece group to be exact. You can check them out at their website or you can watch the video on YouTube...here!

This is a recent video they shot on tour...its an acoustic version of the song...DON"T watch this without listening to the studio version also!!


Since this post has started off rather decidedly self-obsessed, I figure why quit now?! Here is the original Rio in song; sung to me repeatedly throughout my life upon introducing myself to someone. I never even knew what people were talking about...somehow I missed ever hearing this Duran Duran hit. I blame my mom for not letting me near MTV when we visited my cousins. So I was a freshman in college before I ever heard this song "played". If you really want some '80s hilarity, go find the music video for this song!
Rio by Duran Duran


From here on I just did some digging and found a little of this and some of that. Lots of Latin and Spanish music/influence goes with this name, as you would expect. Also a good bit of electronic, and of course, a Brazilian funk/jazz/something band from the late 70s...Banda Black Rio. Check out their video.

Rio by The Salvadors

Southern Australian band...from Adelaide to be exact. Their single Atacama Disco was what was getting all the attention so check it out too.

Rio Mescalito by Thunderball

These guys popped up during the "rio" search. I am just going to give you the link to the RCRD LBL blog, where you can read a short write-up, and also get the link to the remix by Mexicans With Guns. Click Here


picture by gabriellasouza

Vidigal by Banda Black Rio


They are still a group, of course not the same as in the 70s...they have a websitetoo!

Bom Dia Rio (Posto 6) by Bossacucanova


I really dig the blog that I found this on...hErE.

Heartless by Rio En Medio


A women. A voice. Listen and see what you think.

Lastly, go to Rio Blanco's MySpace page and have a listen to his song Wild Doves. I would share the song directly but I deleted my MySpace account earlier this year, so you're on your own.

photo byErick Duque

That's all the Rio music for today....BUT WAIT! My actual name isn't (technically) even Rio...sooooooooo I looked up my real name, and found what I was looking for...

Delores O'Riordan--lead singer of the Cranberries--her last name is my first name! I thought I would leave you with a song by her, than I realized that we all know those songs, so I will leave you with a link, to a blog where you can play a song by Passion Pit COVERING her band and their hit 'Dreams'.

My Newest Music

It's been a while eh? Right now I want to write, but I haven't been able to bring myself to do it...or a lot of other things either. I am excited about sharing some of the music I have been discovering...not so much new music but just new to me.

Ashley and I have been living in a home since late August, and one of our roommates was named Tyrie. His sister had already described him to me as "obsessed with his music" and I was all like "Oh yeah I like music a lot too." She just shook her head and let me know that he really took his music seriously. Anyhow, the first time I spent a little time with him was in the car heading down the mountain. I didn't know anything that he was listening to. Then I drove his truck one day and the mix CD he had in the stereo blew me away. I ripped it, and harassed him for more of his music. Some nights I would get home and he would still be awake late into the morning, reading music blogs and downloading new stuff.

A clarification here...music blogs and downloading songs in the manner I am going to offer isn't the same as massive file sharing or piracy. Many artists have accepted and embraced the internet as a means for getting their work out there. I am not going to put entire albums up, but just songs that I like. If you do too, support the artists. If an artist wants any of these removed I will do so immediately upon them contacting me.

Anyways, I finally jumped into the music blogging world a couple weeks ago. In two days I had over 300 new songs and artists to listen to. When Tyrie left for Florida, he gave me a bunch more stuff that has broadened my mind even more. It reminds me that once upon a time I wasn't so in to the mainstream/pop/radio listen to what everybody else is stuff. I've vacillated back and forth with my musical tastes, and a lot of this stuff is new and exciting to me. I hope it will be for you too.

(I won't assume everyone knows this...listen to it on the player, right click on the link and select 'save link as')

Older Brother by Pepper Rabbit


This was the first truly new artist I came across. Everything prior to this was searching for stuff about bands I already knew or music others had given us. I haven't done much reading/research on any of these groups, so I am only going to tell you a little about each one. I liked this instantly.

Sunrise by Yeasayer


Yeasayer was the first band that I really loved the sound of on Tyrie's mix cd. This is a song from their album 'All Hour Cymbals'...awesome. A note here--credit is also due to a great friend of Ashley's Jaden McTaggart, who works with her at Earth Fare. Right around the same time I got my hands on the mix cd, Jaden ripped the new Yeasayer album, 'Madder Red', for Ashley. He has since made her an amazing mix cd as well, which gave me lots more material to search for. Jaden has confessed to also being afflicted with late-night music blog reader syndrome...hopefully he will get the recovery he so desperately needs!

The Vowels Pt. 2 by Why?


This song came right after the Yeasayer song on the mix cd, and for a while, I thought THIS was Yeasayer. It's not. But its Awesome. Cheerio.

Looking For Alien Love by YelaWolf


I hadn't heard of him until I got Big Boi's newest album where he guests on a track. At first listen I thought "He reminds me of Eminem" and then I got a hold of another song...there may be a lot of his stuff that I want nothing to do with, I dunno cuz I just downloaded his mixtape from this year...but this one I like.

That is all the room for this post...I have some more coming. Love YA'LL!

Flowing River Massage

Go HERE to get directions to my office.

I Know, I Know!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Current mood: good
Category: Blogging

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance-that principle is contempt prior to investigation." --Herbert Spencer
Reprinted in the Second Appendix of Alcoholics Anonymous

How often have I said
"I know!"
usually interrupting another who is trying to pass on some sort of learning to me.

When I look at this statement,
I realize that what I am really saying varies
but it could be
"I don't care"
"You bore me"
"You (and your opinions) are not important to me"
"You go to hell! You go to hell and you DIE!"
okay not that last one so much
[btw you have to do that last one in Eric Cartman's voice]
when i say "i know"
i cease to listen to the experience
coming from outside of myself
since we are most definitely our smartest somewhere
between ages 15 and 18
we are likely to use this statement quite a bit
and deprive ourselves of all types of useful knowledge
but if you are like me,
and you carried this "i know"
from a much earlier age,
and then matured at about the same rate
as a sea tortoise,
you may still be dealing with the "i know"
phenomenon in your late 20s
what to do?
just stop it.
catch it when it's coming out.
it sounds like this at first
"i kno..."
followed by
"i kn..."
or something like that, you get the picture
eliminate it from your vocabulary
just some thoughts

The greatest block to learning new things
are the things we already know.